Staying Motivated While on a Budget

Regardless of whether you have just started budgeting, or have been budgeting for a while, staying motivated to make and stick with a budget month in and month out can be tricky. Let’s be honest, putting self-imposed limits on our own spending isn’t always as glamorous as the vacations we see people taking and posting on social media. Not to mention we live in a society that is filled with temptations and surrounded by impulse purchase items that are strategically placed to part us with our hard earned money.

We always start budgeting with the best of intentions – securing our financial future. But keeping the big picture in mind can be difficult. Let’s look at some strategies that you can use to stay motivated to stick with that budget.

Track your Progress:

Paying off debt? Saving for a vacation? Paying off your mortgage early? There are plenty of printable charts and graphs that are available online that you can use as a visual reminder of just how far you’ve come, which in turn will motivate you to go even further.

Take it a step further and put that chart or graph somewhere where you will see it everyday. Watching the debt that you owe go down or your savings go up is a great reminder as to why you started budgeting in the first place and will motivate you to stick with it.

Treat Yourself Every Once in Awhile:

Now I’m not talking about going out and blowing the bank, you do want to keep it modest, but set an increment where once you’ve reached it you’ll give yourself permission to go out and treat yourself to something nice. So maybe after every $1000 of debt that gets paid off, you can pick up your favorite specialty coffee or treat yourself to a nicer cut of meat on your next grocery trip. The key here is that no matter what modest treat you choose, you are rewarding yourself for a job well done.

Read Some Financial Blogs, Watch Financial Vlogs, or Listen to Some Financial Podcasts:

Even though my husband and I have finished paying off all of our consumer debts and student loans, we still listen to Dave Ramsey podcasts to help keep us on track. There’s nothing I’ve found more motivating than listening to hard working people scream at the top of their lungs, “WE”RE DEBT FREE!!” While cooking dinner, I’ll also hop onto YouTube and see what my favorite financial YouTubers are up to and what financial progress they are making.

When trying to stay motivated, I’ve found that it always helps to surround yourself with like minded people who are also working diligently at either paying off debt or saving for their future. If you can’t find people in your everyday life who are motivated and sticking with a budget, we are lucky in this day and age to have such a great virtual community of financially like minded people that can motivate us.

Create a Vision Board:

Remind yourself of your budgeting why by creating a vision board of what your financial goal looks like. If you are saving up for a big vacation, find pictures of your destination and create a collage and post it somewhere where you’re going to see it on a regular basis. If you’re looking to pay off debt, create a collage of what your debt free future looks like. Having a visual reminder will help you keep the bigger picture in mind as you work towards reaching that goal.

Don’t Get Down on Yourself:

We are all going to have setbacks. Life is going to happen and sometimes that will mean that you have to go over budget or dip into that savings that you’ve worked hard to build. The important thing is that you don’t let it get you down to the point where you feel like giving up altogether. Yes it’s painful when you are faced with expenses that you weren’t anticipating, but don’t let that stop you from keeping your head up. Keep moving forward knowing that it will get better and that the end goal is still achievable, even with the occasional setback.

Your Turn!

How do you keep yourself motivated while on a budget?

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